


I Gave You A Hamburger

by FuckTruck



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games), Titanfall
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, F/M, Fluff, I Mean Slow Burn, I will add more characters as the story progresses, Other, Pining, Slow Build, Slow Burn, When I say slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:47:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26488147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuckTruck/pseuds/FuckTruck
Summary: Get in, get out. That was the only thing Shane had on her mind regarding the Apex Games. Luckily (or unluckily) for her and the friends she's made, things never go according to plan.
Relationships: Mirage | Elliott Witt/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	1. Fresh Meat

Shane and Octavio were welcomed with open arms by the other legends. Well… most of them, anyway. With the help of a pink-haired girl, who bore the strangest accent she'd ever heard, the daredevil took to the group awfully fast. Everything from his initiation to his announcement as a new legend had been so smooth with him being a well-known social media icon before then. Shane on the other hand… 

The woman nearly choked on her blueberry muffin when her phone was turned on and every notification she'd missed over the past twelve hours appeared at once. Even though she was already a week into this mess, she wasn't used to the attention just yet. Especially not the attention of Apex fans across the Outlands, who were more than happy to see a brand new skull get bashed in on live television. People's fixation with things like this baffled her beyond anything, yet here she was, actively participating in the famous bloodsport. 

She waited patiently for her phone to catch up with last night's barrage of interactions on her media profiles, but the wave was consistent this morning. The screen remained lit and the little device never stopped vibrating as the notifications poured in. Her patience wore thin when it continued for much longer than it had the other mornings. 

"You gotta be fucking kiddin' me." Shane mumbled, feeling ready to chuck her phone at the wall. 

"Day before your first game's always the worst." A voice said from behind. She turned around to see the ex-IMC soldier dressed in a tank top and gym shorts with a towel wrapped around her neck. "Think it's bad now? Wait 'til after the game tomorrow."

Shane greeted her with silence, the same way she'd done with all the legends so far who wasted their time by trying to get to know her. Anita wasn't put off by her silence, however. She still approached the woman and extended a hand out, asking for the phone. "Here. Let me see it."

Without a word, Shane handed her the device and watched as Anita tapped and scrolled her way through the notification settings, effectively turning off all pings for her social media accounts. She shoved the last of her muffin in her mouth and watched as the older woman worked away on her phone. "That should help. I wouldn't turn them back on, though. Just a tip."

"Mhm." Shane mumbled with her cheeks filled to the brim with her breakfast. She watched wide eyed as the woman casually moved around the ship's kitchen to grab a bottle of water and began chugging it right in front of her. These people were weird. All of them were. How they could all gun each other down one day and live in peace and harmony the next was beyond her. The culture on board the ship was something she still wasn't used to by now, and to be honest, she didn't think she'd ever adjust to it. Adapting to the new scene was especially hard when she pretty much lived in the firing range since day one. From the moment they opened to the second they closed, she could be found picking away at the clueless dummies with a Triple Take from up in the steel towers. 

Speaking of which. 

_ The pods should be open. _

Without even mumbling a "goodbye" or a "thank you" to Anita, she threw her plate in the sink and made a beeline for the game chambers. Upon reaching the room, she approached her pod and ghosted her fingertips along the cool metal of her personal respawn chamber. Her stage name was etched on a plate at the foot of the pod.  _ Taipan.  _ The latch hissed when it was flipped and the rubber seal was broken. She toyed with the settings on a side screen until it was set to take her doppelganger to the firing range. 

Despite using these pods for about a week now, she still hadn't fully adapted to the process of entering and exiting the arena. Just getting in the giant cylinder was a chore on its own. With her grand height of a whopping five feet, Shane was the only legend who had to use a stool in order to get into her pod. Then there was the matter of waiting for the door to close and reseal itself with her inside.  _ Then _ she had to wait for the body scans to their bullshit before it confirmed it was the real Shane. Only after all that was the chamber filled with gas that relaxed her muscles and effectively knocked her out with one long inhale. 

But as soon as she closed her eyes and drifted off, they were open again. Only now, she wasn't staring up at a glass cover that shielded her real body from the outside world, but she was looking down at the end of a tunnel that led to the range. Her footsteps echoed down the hall as she walked to the exit. The first thing she always did upon reaching the top of the staircase was look up at the drop ship that hovered silently above and to the side of the arena. This had to have been her sixth or seventh time out to the range that week, and every time she'd think about her slumbering body that was waiting on the ship, how peaceful she must've looked in that little metal coffin. The thought of being two places at once never failed to weird her the fuck out when she thought about it for too long. 

Shane took a few minutes to allow her duplicate body to adjust to being programmed into the firing range. After the light, tingly feelings were gone and her nerves settled, she started practicing with a Longbow and a G7. When she found a decent spot up in the steal structures that overlooked the arena, the dummies were switched on from the convenient little watch-like device on her wrist. She smirked the way she'd always done when they came to life right before her eyes. They moved around absentmindedly as she set up both guns with all the optics and attachments she had grabbed from the stations. Only then was she ready to get into position and take aim at the oblivious little robots down below. 

"Alright, ya little bastards"– she fired a few rounds at their feet to scare them into a panicked frenzy –"dance for me."

––———————

Shane fired round after round, hour after hour, until every single shot she made was landing on her targets. Her shoulder ached from holding up the sniper rifles. Her eyes stung with every beat of sweat that hit them from her forehead due to the scorching heat. The day dragged on, and she used every second that passed to work on her aim the same way she'd done every day for the past week. Until break time. Instead of returning to the ship and giving herself time to properly rest from the training, she found a spot in the steel structure that was shaded by a tattered tarp just above her head. 

She removed her shirt in one swift movement and spread it out beneath her in a poor attempt to create some sort of cushion to lay on. After laying out flat on her back with one leg crossed over the other in the air, she called up her brother. A smile stretched across her face when he answered with a yawn. 

"Well,  _ hi _ to you too." Shane said with feigned annoyance. 

Walton laughed. "Sorry-Jesus. Good morning."

" _ Afternoon. _ How late were you up last night?"

He scoffed and she could hear him twisting about in his bed. "Shit."

"Did the Woodwin Brown put you on your ass again?"

"Not that it's just… taking care of things on my own is a lot."

"Walt. I've only been away for a  _ week. _ "

"And for a week straight, that robot's been givin' me hell."

Shane was so glad he couldn't see her shit eating grin through the screen. "He can't be  _ that _ bad," but she knew he was. In fact, his behavior was probably worse than Walton was letting on. 

"He wants you, not me."

"Well, he's gonna have to wait."

"I keep telling him that but…" He trailed off and followed it up with a sigh. "You and dad are the only people he listens to. I don't know why you even left him powered on before you left."

Shane rolled her eyes even though she knew what he said was nothing but true. "Oh, please. He only listens to us when he wants to. And besides, y'all could use the extra bonding time."

"As if I'd wanna bond with that  _ thing.  _ He probably feels the same way about me."

_ Not probably. I know he does.  _ She thought while giggling to herself. 

"And my damn phone! It won't stop!"

She twisted her face into a tight wince and sucked in a breath through her teeth. "You too, huh?"

"I mean - I know it's not your fault, and it's probably worse on your end, but all these people… they won't leave me alone. It's getting worse."

"Yeah. Anita gave me some advice this morning."

"Anita… Williams? You mean Bangalore?"

She huffed again. " _ Yes _ Bangalore."

"You finally makin' some friends over there?"

Shane didn't respond, but she didn't have to. Her silence was all he needed. 

"Shane, where're you at right now?"

"Firing range." She said without hesitation. 

Walton sighed and she waited patiently for the scolding that was sure to come. And it did, as expected. 

"What good is isolating yourself doing?"

"I'm not here to make friends. You know that. And I'm only gonna be here for one season, so there's no point." They'd been through this argument so many times, she could predict how the whole conversation would end. He'd say she needs to socialize more with the other legends. She'd argue by saying training her aim is more important than mingling with the others. He'd go on about how speaking with the other legends might make life in the games easier. She'd proceed to tell him that he "doesn't know shit". He'd babble on like the overbearing older siblings he was and it would continue until she hung up on him mid sentence. 

Just the thought of doing that dance for the hundredth time that week mentally exhausted her. Before he could respond, Shane stopped him from continuing the argument. "Look, I'm stressed out enough. If this is where this conversation's goin', I can hang up. I could be shootin' right now."

Walton sighed, but he couldn't argue with that. Being able to speak to her without the conversation turning into a verbal boxing match was a pleasant change. He loved his sister more than anything else in the world, but  _ holy shit _ , she was stubborn as fuck. 

"No-no-no. Nevermind. Forget I said anything about that." He sighed and she could hear him fidgeting with something on the other end. "You excited for tomorrow?"

"'Course I am. A bit nervous too, though. I mean… what if I don't get any kills or our team doesn't win? What the hell are we gonna do if the payout is too low or if I don't get shit at all?"

"Well, you'll just have to do better in the next one. How many games are there in a season? Four? Five?"

"Four."

"See? So you'll be fine. It ain't just one game."

"I know, Walt, but…" She trailed off and chewed on her bottom lip for a split second. "We  _ need  _ that money. Selling Hercules isn't an option."

"And as much as I may hate his nonexistent guts, Herc ain't goin' nowhere. We'll get the money together. The doctors said he still has time. Just focus on not dying first, alright?"

"Yeah." 

He knew she wasn't happy with his answer, but he too was tired of the back and forth arguments throughout the week and decided to leave it there. "Okay. I'm gonna let you get back to it. Good luck tomorrow. You're gonna do great. I'll be watchin'."

She flashed a dimpled but weak smile even though he couldn't see it. "Thanks, Walt. Love you."

"Love you too. We'll talk more later."

After putting the phone away, she laid flat on her back and stared up at the tarp for a few minutes, wallowing in her homesickness. Her chest grew tight when she thought about Hercules and how hard this was on him. He expressed his displeasure with Shane joining the games multiple times before she even started packing her things. They were inseparable for nearly two decades and now he was stuck in the garage while she was away. For a titan, he was surprisingly good at the whole moping thing. The day she left was the worst. He was completely beside himself. Like a child who didn’t want their mother to leave them alone. Only this child was tall and chrome-plated and had a grenade launcher that could down a warship with a few shots. If anyone told her she’d miss that lumbering jackass before she left for the games, she probably would’ve laughed in their face. Now, she’d give anything to be back at home arguing with Hercules over something petty or just conversing with him about an article she'd found on the internet. 

She sighed and hoisted herself up to continue her training. After thinking about home and leaving Hercules behind, she suddenly didn't want to train anymore. All she wanted to do now was curl up in her bunk and watch old videos she'd taken of the two of them together. 

_ It’s just for one season. _ Shane mentally reminded herself for the umpteenth time this week. She was eager to get back to her family outside of Solace City, no matter how small and strange it was. 


	2. First Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol I just realized I didn't post a summary or any notes with the previous chapter, so I'll leave a little note here. This is something I've been thinking up for about a year now and I finally got around to writing and posting it. I really don't know what else to say other than hold on to your underwear because this shit is gonna get very long and very sad, but hopefully at least a few people like it enough to tag along. As the tags say, I'll probably add more tags/warnings as I post shit because I'd hate to put Loba in the tags when she really doesn't show up til way later on in the story. Okay, ADHD brain doesn't know what else to type, so I'll let y'all read now.

One squad left. Two legends down. She was all alone. 

_Don't you_ **_dare_ ** _fuck this up._

The weight of the world was on her shoulders in that moment. The payout for winning the first game of the new season wasn't expected to be anything grand. Still, Shane would take whatever she could get at this point. 

The horn sounded, indicating the ring was about to shrink. She dipped her head down, and squeezed her eyes shut. Her other squadmates, Octane and Mirage, had died earlier on in the game. It wasn't until her squad landed when she fully understood what her brother meant by getting to know her potential squad mates beforehand. She really didn't know jack shit about the two of them right off the bat other than one was fast and the other never stopped flapping his tongue. The daredevil was always twenty steps ahead of the other two, scouting out unlooted areas and swiping anything he deemed valuable before Shane and Mirage caught up. 

The trickster, on the other hand, annoyed her to no end with his decoys. She was following his lead for the most part when Octavio wasn't around. Of course, he took full advantage of her sticking so close to him. Every now and again he'd tuck himself behind a wall or a boulder and send out a holographic decoy. Shane, not knowing any better, usually ended up following the figure until it disappeared or stopped at an obstacle. He'd giggle as he watched her mindlessly tail behind the decoys and explode with laughter when they vanished and she'd swear out loud. 

"I'm guessing you didn't do your homework before signing up?" He asked while jabbing her shoulder with his elbow. "You're the only one who falls for that trick!"

Shane rolled her eyes and adjusted her jacket sleeve. "I never watched the games if that's what you're asking." She silently hoped he'd hear the aggravation in her tone and drop it. 

If he did pick up on the uptick in her voice, he did a damn good job of not showing it. 

"Oh, man. You really missed out on the other seasons. Especially the ones _I_ was in. I remember this one time with Ajay and Makoa – that's Lifeline and Gibraltar. Anywho–"

He went on. And on. And on. And on. And on. Until Shane tuned him out completely. Elliott never stopped to ask questions along the way, which made ignoring him that much easier. They continued like this for the next five minutes until they finally reached Octavio at a large but run down wooden building next to a pond. He picked through most of it before his teammates arrived, but Shane and Elliott grabbed the items he'd pinged while he threw all of the tools he didn't need on the floor – which was a fuckton.

When Shane moved to the opposite side of the shack, Elliott threw a pebble at the daredevil to get his attention. "Psst. Octane. Hey, Octane. Watch this. Stay quiet."

He opened the side door to the large, beat up building they were in and sent a decoy walking outside.

"Alright, kids, let's go!" He shouted with one hand cupped around his mouth before crouching behind a group of barrels. Octavio was laid out flat on the second floor, angling his body camera so he could capture the whole scene. Nobody could see it, but he was smiling wildly under his mask, waiting for whatever was about to unfold in front of him. 

Shane rolled her eyes and jogged out of the building after the decoy. "Coming!"

"No way!" Octavio whisper-shouted out loud. 

Elliott responded with a stern "shhh" before poking his head out from behind the barrels. 

"Mind slowin' down? You left a bunch of shotgun rounds over there." She panted as her significantly shorter legs tried to keep up with his brisk pace. He didn't respond, which was unusual, but she kept tailing him anyway. When they were about fifty feet away, the decoy stopped when it reached a boulder and made finger guns at thin air. "Wh– oh no," she whined. " _Mirage_!"

Octavio jumped down from the second floor, drunk with laughter and stumbled forward before steadying himself on a box. "I can't believe that worked! Look how mad she is!"

Elliott was leaned over one of the barrels, struggling to catch his own breath. "I know right? Lo-lo-loo-look-look at her face!"

With a frustrated growl, she started to stomp back towards the clowns with balled up fists. "Wait 'til I _fuckin'_ get my hands on–" She stopped dead in her tracks when a flash came from the clouds with a horn that sounded different from the one that played before the ring closed. A never ending rain of missiles began to fall from the sky, each one embedding itself in the ground with a cloud of sand and dust. 

_Missiles?_

The internal debate on whether she should go back to the building or stay where she was nearly drove her mad in the few seconds she had to think. She drew her Wingman, but hid behind the same boulder she stopped at with the decoy. The pistol rattled lightly with her trembling hands as she waited for the commotion to stop. 

"Taipan!" One of the men called out. Their shouts for her attention could barely be heard over the crashing of the missiles, and Shane was too afraid to stick her head out and look around. Not until it got quiet. The bombs shitting down on the building came to a halt, and a ball with green smoke trailing behind it was thrown through the back window. It burst with a plume of toxic gas that sent Octavio and Elliott into hacking fits.

It was then when she somehow gathered enough courage to fully stand up and scream at the pair, "Get the hell outta there!"

The last she saw of the men was them spilling out of the doorway and collapsing on their knees, coughing up their lungs on the porch. Before anybody had time to think, the missiles went off, one by one, creating a sea of orange flashes with a hint of dust and green smoke when all was set and done. The sight was quite beautiful, to say the least. The only thing she could do was watch helplessly from afar as a full squad of three strolled up to the building, guns drawn and ready to finish off anyone left in the aftermath. When the dust settled, she could see where Octavio and Elliott's mangled bodies lay slumped against the wall. Both of them were slathered in ash and blood, limbs twisted in ungodly positions. Shane blinked multiple times at the crime scene before breaking into an adrenaline fueled sprint. 

Now, here she was. Alone, afraid, and completely out of ammo for the Triple Take that had carried her through most of the game after her squad mates bit the dust. The Wingman in her holster only had two rounds that she swiped off of Pathfinder's body not even ten minutes ago. Her chest rose and fell at a rate she didn't even know was possible. Every breath she took was short and quick. Her heart pounded in her ears, but she was still able to hear the heavy footsteps outside the shack. Whoever was skulking around on the outside must've been a bigger person, judging by the sound of extra crunching beneath their feet that she never heard from Elliott or Octavio. Shane drew in a deep breath and held it as she looked through one of the cracks in the wooden planks. 

Gibraltar. 

That was probably the second to last person she wanted to see. Right behind Caustic. Or maybe Bangalore? Okay… maybe he was the _third_ worst person she could go toe to toe with. Given her size, however, Shane wouldn't be much of a match for _any_ of the other legends. Being the smallest legend by far meant she was harder to hit, but every blow that landed was potentially devastating if she didn't dodge their hits at the right time. 

The ring closed in on her building, cutting off half of the shack and leaving her with nothing but one corner, the window, and the back door. That was the only structure that was left in the ring. Everything else was open, so it was painfully obvious where she was hiding to the man. He chuckled and settled down on a stump, facing the building and propping up the Peacekeeper next to his thigh. "Any day now, Taipan."

Her eyes went wide. 

How the hell did he know she was the only one left? 

"Why don'tcha come on out? Say hi maybe? You're the only one I haven't talked to much." He bargained. 

Shane held her composure as best as she could, but knew she wouldn't be able to do so for long. By the next ring, her building would be completely engulfed in the storm and she'd be forced to come out or die outside the ring, which would be embarrassing on its own. Putting this off would only make her more nervous when the ring finally dragged her out. 

With all the courage she could muster, Shane slid out the back door with hesitation. She immediately expected to be shot at, but when she poked her head around the door, Makoa was in the same, relaxed state on the stump. His face bore a warm and friendly smile as she finally made her way out, appearing as non-threatening as can be. It took a moment for her to process exactly what was going on, to truly understand the gravity of what would unfold within the next two minutes. The situation was more than eerie when put into perspective. This man's job was to slaughter her in front of millions of viewers around the Outlands. It was her job to do the same. Yet, here he was, coaxing her out of her hiding spot with a grin and relaxed muscles, as if he was meeting a skittish puppy encountering humans for the first time. 

Win or lose, they'd both be coexisting on the same ship like they had been for the past week. They'd share the same weight room, same restrooms, same kitchen and dining area. They'd live in close proximity with this little moment in the back of their heads until the end of the season. Thinking about it only amped up her unease as she crept closer. Her footsteps were slow and she kept her hands up in a submissive manner. Neither one of them wanted to make any sudden movements. She only stopped when she eyed his Peacekeeper, opting to wait and talk at a safe distance just in case his calm demeanor was all a ruse. 

"Well, hello!" His voice boomed and she went stiff. "You're the one everybody's been askin' about."

Shane knitted her eyebrows and tilted her head to the side, trying to make her confusion obvious without actually asking what the hell he was on about. 

"You've been hiding out a lot. You're good at hiding." He said. 

Her brown eyes darted back and forth between him and his shotgun as he spoke, and he commented on that. 

"Look, I'm not gonna jump up and shoot you if that's what you're worried about. I don't play like that." 

If that made her feel any better – and it did – she wasn't really good at showing it. Her stance remained tight as a drum. A silence followed his statement as he gave her a window to speak if she wanted to. When it dragged on for too long, he filled it. "You're a real tough egg to crack, you know that?" 

She caught a small glimpse of a dimple on his cheek as he broke into a light laugh. The one little dent looked like the two she bore on her cheeks when she'd crack even the tiniest of smiles. Makoa wouldn't get to see them anytime soon, though. 

"So… you always this talkative?" He questioned. "If you'd rather get down to business–" His hand reached for the shotgun and she flinched. 

That was when she broke her silence. "Why are you talking to me?"

"So she speaks!" He flashed an even bigger smile. "Sorry if this bothers you. I just haven't seen you around much on the ship. Feels like I'm meetin' a unicorn for the first time, y'know? Haha."

The corner of her mouth twitched upwards and she huffed out of her nose at that comparison. Her game face quickly returned when she remembered she was here to win, not make friends. 

"Alright." He sighed and adjusted his position on the stump. Any fraction of relaxation Shane felt was immediately replaced with the same tension she had a minute ago. "Guess that's the most I'll get out of you for now, yeah? It's more than I hoped for. Tell you what, I'm feelin' nice, so I'll give you a countdown before we start our little shootout. Deal?"

Shane nodded. 

Makoa stood from the stump with a stretch and reached for the shotgun that leaned on the wood next to him. He heard her breath hitch and paused, wiggling his fingers just over the butt of the gun with a half smile. "You ready?"

She nodded again. 

"Okay." He picked up the Peacekeeper and held it up to his shoulder, giving it a small bounce. "Three… two…"

Before he could get to one, Shane ripped the Wingman from the holster and fired, nailing him dead in the chest. Makoa stumbled back with a surprised yelp and she darted around to his side, firing and missing her final round. She hastily threw the heavy pistol into the storm and whipped a dagger from her belt, studying him as he recovered from the shot. 

"Woo-hoo-hoooo! Now you're in _big_ trouble!" He yelled out before firing off his shotgun multiple times. 

She was able to dodge most of the heavy blows, instead getting nicked in the arm or leg by the spray of the pellets here and there. He stopped to reload. This was her chance. 

The little metal straw she carried on her belt was brought up to her lips. Shane took in one deep breath and blew all of it out of her mouth with everything she had. The poison dart flew through the air and jammed itself in the neck of her opponent. A tiny blue light flashed, letting her know that her equipment worked and venom was now being pumped through his veins. Makoa stopped in the middle of reloading to yank the device from his neck, but the damage had already been done. He turned his head, slightly disoriented and weak in the knees, to see the woman flying at him with her blade. The man reached out to slap her away, but failed. He screamed in agony when she plunged the knife into his side and nearly gutted him like a fish. She raked it over half of his abdomen before backing off and admiring the damage she had done. 

He was bleeding profusely from his wound, failing to contain the blood with one hand. It flowed from between his fingers like water. She took note of the excessive hemorrhaging. The blood thinning chemical in her dart was doing its job. The pain was evident in his eyes as he stared her down with the same fiery gaze she eyed him with. They both stood for a moment, panting like crazy as the horn sounded and the ring got even smaller. 

"Alright, Pan." He said breathlessly. "That's how you wanna play, huh?"

The Peacekeeper was tossed carelessly into the storm next to her Wingman. There was no way Shane would let him reload it at this point, so he played her game. He was grateful that the worst of the altered venom's effect had worn off and he could see straight again. Makoa was reluctant to take his other hand off the gushing wound, but he did so in order to take out his club and hold it with one hand and have his shield in the other. 

" _COME ON!_ " He roared, slamming his fist against his shield and causing the tiny woman to jump out of her skin for a brief moment. 

Shane chose that moment to use her ultimate ability. The one thing in the game that she dreaded the most because of how much it fucked with her, but the boosts it gave her were too good to pass up, especially for a one on one fight with Makoa. She injected herself with a syringe she had strapped to her belt and the effects were immediate. The serum had only been tested out a handful of times due to the sheer agony of it, and every time she used it felt like the first. 

Just about every muscle in her body contracted as she hunched over. Her breathing became rapid. It felt like she had a whole army of fire ants crawling under her skin in a matter of seconds. Due to Makoa's concerned expression, she could only imagine how terrifying she looked as the poison took over. And then it reached the final part of her body. The brain. Shane let out a roar that was easily comparable to a screaming mountain lion. Every breath she took after that came out in quick dog-like grunts and growls. Makoa suddenly felt like he was fighting against a completely different person or a zombie from a post-apocalyptic video game. 

Once he was able to gather his thoughts, the club was raised high over his head as he prepared to strike. She spun out of the way and dodged the hit with ease, grinning to herself when she turned around to see his fully exposed back facing her. Shane lunged forward, dagger in hand, and dug the blade right into his back, pushing down with all her might. The enhanced speed and strength she got from the serum made her hit deal more damage as she twisted the knife and roughly yanked it out, spraying blood everywhere. Makoa cried out again and staggered forward. He leaned heavily on his club and struggled to catch his breath. 

_This is it. One more blow, and I win._

One. More. Blow. 

Shane damn near salivated as she seized her moment and leapt onto his back. She got a grip on his chest plate and positioned her knife just over his jugular. 

_One swipe. Make it clean. You're about to win the–_

A hand the size of her face came flying from over his shoulder, grasping a fistful of her curly hair and tugging upwards as the hulk of a man doubled over. Shane screamed out in surprise, dropping her knife and gripping his wrist instead. Before she knew it, he had completely yanked up on her locks and slammed her onto the ground with a sickening crack coming from somewhere in her body. She didn't really want to know what he broke, but she was thankful that the serum numbed the pain so she didn't feel anything. 

Eyes going wide, she desperately gasped for air as all of the wind was knocked clean out of her. Blood began to fill one of her lungs as she lay there in the grass, staring up at the man who frowned down at her. A light, wet cough sent blood spewing from her mouth. 

He shook his head, lifting the club to make the finishing hit. "You almost had me there, sistah."

Shane didn't understand a word he just said. Everything was blurred, and there was a loud ringing in her ears that drowned out any other sounds. As the serum wore off, the dull throbbing in the back of her head grew more and more painful as the seconds passed. And then there was the feeling in her legs, or lack thereof. Then she soon realized she couldn't move any part of her body except for her head. If she could speak, she'd beg him to hurry up and end it already. Her prayers were answered when she noticed the general shape of his club hovering high above her head. 

She closed her eyes and waited for the final blow. 

"Good fight! I'll see you on the other side."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LOVE GIBRALTAR I SWEAR! I like hurting everyone tho, so he's not exempt from being brutalized by me. Also, I hope y'all like the way Elliott fucks with Shane in this one. This was actually inspired by a friend of mine back before Mirage's buff. He'd always follow my decoys around thinking they were actually me and then get confused when they'd vanish. No idea how he thought I was the decoy, but I got him multiple times. 
> 
> I hope y'all liked this one!


	3. No Hard Feelin's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 is about halfway done, so it'll take a bit longer to put out. Thanks to everyone who's still reading this!!! I love y'all!!!

The bright lights from inside the chamber were cruel upon awakening. A dull fog filled her tank as she was roused from what felt like an utter fever dream. Shane's eyes opened to their widest, as did her mouth, when she fully came to. One long, raspy breath filled her lungs as everything that had just happened came rushing back to her head. She took several harsh gasps with one hand clutching her chest. The last thing she remembered was the sight of Gibraltar's club coming down on her face. In less than a split second later, she was here. Any sign of the lung he busted in her chest was gone. There was no pain, no aches, no blood, not even a bruise as far as she could tell. 

But she was dying out there. _Dying._

Of course, signing on to the games came with its fair share of warnings. They were reminded over and over again that they would be able to feel everything in their virtual bodies, but their physical forms would not be affected in any way. Despite all of this, nothing could prepare her for those final moments. The cracking of her spine, her body going completely numb from the waist down, the choking sensation she felt when her left lung filled with fluid, the throbbing of her scalp when Gibraltar grabbed her by the hair. _All_ of it was too real. 

Then she remembered the worst part. 

She lost. 

She _lost_. 

Shane was so sure of herself in that last fight, so sure she would take him down with her speed alone. As a rule, the last three players in every game would get some sort of payout along with the entirety of the champion squad. This known fact still couldn't stop the burning sensation behind her eyes. While she wasn't sure of the exact amount, the Apex games always paid big for winning teams. She forced back the lump that crept up her throat as her eyes stung. Voices came from outside her neuropod and she took several deep breaths to calm her emotions while she was extracted from the container. 

"Player equilibrium reached. Immediate extraction requested." Said a monotone, female AI voice. 

Hands appeared over the glass as the staff on the ship quickly got to work on unlocking her pod. The fog billowed from the sides when the hatch was released and she sat up in the metal coffin. Medics were quick to rush to her side and inspect every inch of her being. The scientists had been waiting to gather results from the body levels of the legends upon exiting the pod. 

They flashed lights in her eyes, lifted her lips to check her gums, took her blood pressure, timed her pulse, measured her breathing, and got her temperature seemingly at once. All of them babbled nonsense back and forth to each other about the numbers they got and the vast majority of them were gone in minutes. This was all a blur for Shane, who was holding a dead stare at the wall throughout the madness. She snapped out of her trance when two men grabbed both of her arms in an attempt to help her out of the pod. They protested when she hastily yanked her arms away from them, unable to hold back her emotions any longer. 

Tears started to roll down her cheeks. She had to get the hell out of there. 

The remaining doctors called after her when she stumbled out of the pod on wobbly legs. She ignored the shaking in her knees as best as she could while making a break for the door. Anyone who tried to stop her was roughly shoved to the side as she stormed out of the room. Her shoulders shook as she made a beeline for the showers since the firing range wasn't an option. Right now, her main goal was finding a place where she could just _explode_. Pathfinder and Olivia called out to her when she walked past, but their attempts to grab her attention went completely ignored. 

She burst into one of the shower stalls and instantly started to bang her fists on the steel wall, spewing out curse after curse at the top of her lungs. This went on until she could feel pain, _real pain_ , in her hands and threw her back against the wall. She slid down onto her bottom and slowly but surely began to sob out loud. The cell phone in her pocket rang multiple times throughout her breakdown. By the time she was calm enough to acknowledge the calls, she had missed five of them. All from her brother. And so she decided to call him back. If anyone knew what to say to quell her nerves, it was him. 

It rang only once before it was immediately answered. The flood gates opened as soon as she heard her name come from the other end. 

"Shane?"

Through the hiccups and gasps, she was able to sputter his name. "W-Walton. We're never gonna get it. He won't-"

"Okay-okay. First just… just breathe, alright? Can you do that for me?"

He knew better than to try talking to her while she was in this state. Shane drew in multiple deep, shaky breaths and got the sobbing to stop with a minute of that. When it was reduced to the occasional sniff, she continued. 

"Walt, I lost."

"I saw that."

"How the fuck are we gonna get him that transplant? Th-th-that was the point of me doin' this shit."

He sighed. "Alright, let's pretend this whole heart thing… let's just put that off to the side for now. You kicked absolute _ass_ out there!"

"But I didn't win."

"Bullshit. Second place on your first game? That might as well be a goddamn win."

"The payout won't be enough fo-"

"Aht-aht-aht! Stop that. You just went head to head with _Makoa Gibraltar_."

"So?"

" _So?_ Whataya mean ' _so_ '? That dude might as well be a human Titan and you almost put him on his ass. Everyone's goin' nuts about it."

"Wh-" She hesitated, not knowing for sure if she wanted to know the public's opinion of her already. "What are they saying?"

The excitement in his voice was really all she needed to know now people were reacting. 

"Shane, they love you! They love your equipment and-and the way you snipe and you almost killed Gibraltar without a gun! Nobody's shutting up about that last fight. I mean… they weren't expecting you to win against him, but nobody thought you would pull off… _all that_ . They _love_ you, man."

Her heart tightened after hearing that. Her mind had been so wrapped up in the chaos that was getting into the games, she hadn't considered the possibility of a fanbase growing beneath her, as they did with other players. 

"And holo-boy – whatever his name is – I'll have to buy him a drink if I meet him."

And after he made that comment, Shane saw red. The game would've ended much differently had Witt not been fucking around in that building. If it were Gibraltar versus their whole squad or at least two of them, she would've landed that win. Fucking hell. Her cheeks burned with anger the more her mind dwelled on it. She had to hang up with Walton before she lashed out and said something she'd regret to him instead of the main cause of her current state of emotional distress. 

"Walt, I have to go." She said through clenched teeth. 

He didn't question it at all, thinking she was being called back for an interview or a signing. "Yeah. Call me tonight, or tomorrow if you're too tired."

"Mhm." Was all she muttered before abruptly ending the call and shoving her phone back into her pocket. 

Now she was pissed. All she wanted to do was tear Elliott a new asshole for the loss. Maybe Octavio too if she could catch him. It didn't take much for her to find Witt when she left the restrooms. As soon as she turned the corner, he was coming out of the bathrooms from a different hallway. He flashed a wide smile and gave her a wave upon seeing the woman, both of which she was too furious to return. 

"Hey! You did good for a room-ro-rock-roo-ru-uh-oh–" He stopped his stuttering when Shane grabbed a fistful of his uniform and dragged him into an empty nearby room. She had him by his shoulder and he had to bend over awkwardly due to the height difference as he stumbled behind her. She didn't even bother closing the door once they got in the room. After she had his back slammed against the wall, she immediately blew up. 

"Okay. What the _fuck_ is your problem?" 

"What… . Whataya mean?" He asked, looking like a kid getting scolded to hell and back by a school teacher, "I just gave you a com-cump-cut-con-co… I said nice things."

"Not that! The decoys. You really thought that shit was funny?"

He stood there and stared at her like a deer in the headlights. This is clearly not what he was expecting after his first game with the rookie. Elliott licked his lips as his eyes darted around the room. He still had no idea what to say in response. "I'm… I-I-I didn't think it was bad. You didn't say anything and–"

"I shouldn't have to! That shit you pulled was fucking ridiculous!"

He stood there silently again. 

"You cost me a goddamn win, you know that?" Elliott swallowed thickly as her eyes bore into his and she continued. "Look, I know getting out there and acting a complete ass in front of millions is your thing, but I'm only doing this for one season. Can you act like you have some sense for _one_ goddamned season? If I gotta have this talk with you again, I swear on my _parents_ , Witt, I'll–"

Leave it up to Renee to be his saving grace. The pale skinned woman stepped into the room and abruptly put an end to Shane's little rant. "What's going on?"

Shane glanced at her before she locked eyes with Elliott again. The fear in his eyes was all she needed to know he wouldn't be getting in the way of her and another championship. At least not while they were squadmates. She released his shirt and turned to face Renee. "Nothing."

"Right… Olivia's about to have a panic attack. You need to get back on deck right now. Witt, you too." She said, eyes darting between Elliott and Shane. 

The newer legend gave Elliott one last glare before exiting the room. She brushed shoulders with Renee, only giving her a hasty "'scuse me" as she passed by. 

* * *

The attention was beyond exhausting. Olivia quickly snatched Shane from the restroom and began scolding her for bolting after the game. Apparently, the game itself was only half of the whole ordeal. The rest of the day was filled with interviews from reporters to doctors to Syndicate technicians. Each legend must have answered at least a hundred questions by nightfall. All the while, Shane longed for the silence and security of the firing range. With each invasive question that was asked, the urge to run and hide away in the rocks grew stronger. 

What Walton said earlier about people fawning over her on social media became clear as the day dragged on. The people of the Outlands were _thoroughly_ impressed with her one on one fight with Makoa. Shane was given the strict rules on interacting with fans over the internet. However, after a day like that, only a few of them really wanted to be bothered with any screaming fans, new or old. Elliott and Octavio were the only legends who opted to go out and give out autographs for Apex fans that night. Everyone else remained on the drop ship and got ready for whatever the next day would bring. 

It was midnight and the ship was mostly quiet. The only sounds came from the hum of the ship's engines and the occasional swear that came from the woman dragging a heavy steel chair across the kitchen floor. When she had the backside of the chair against one of the counters as planned, she studied the silence to make sure none of the other legends had heard her fumbling around. She had slept for every bit of an hour before waking up with a fierce craving for a big bowl of cereal. Of course, said cereal had to be in the very top cabinet. Being below the average height for a typical woman her age meant getting creative when stuff was out of reach. 

The chair wobbled a little when she hopped up on it, but she was able to maintain her balance as the cabinet swung open. Just as she was about to reach for the orange box on one of the shelves, a much larger hand reached around and swiped it. Shane screamed bloody murder and took one step backwards, completely forgetting the fact that she was standing on a chair. 

"Whoa!" Makoa shouted as he promptly caught her with one arm wrapped around her waist and set her on the floor. He laughed and handed her the box when she turned around and stared at him wide eyed. "I didn't mean to scare you _that_ bad."

"Funny." Was all Shane responded with before placing the box on the chair and dragging it back to the table. 

An awkward silence fell over the two of them as a strange tension filled the room. The image of him hovering over her broken, bleeding body played on a loop in her head. It was worse since viewing the footage of the game allowed her to see it from different angles. Makoa felt the unease radiating from the woman and tried to quell it before things could get even more weird. He'd walk away out of respect, but he also had a hankering for a midnight snack and wasn't leaving empty handed. 

So there was an attempt at some small talk, starting with the cereal. "You a fan of Tinbits too?" 

She nodded while gathering the rest of what she needed for her signature bowl of cereal. "Yeah."

_And I'm totally not eating them for the sole purpose of finding the mystery Titan action figure in the box._

"Heh. Octavio dumped it out and took the little toy out a few days ago."

Shane felt a growl bubbling in her chest. She turned her head to the side so Makoa could hear her, but kept her burning stare on the floor. "He did _what_?"

"Yeah, Ajay made sure he used a spoon to dig it out, so he didn't touch any of it with his hands. In case you were wondering why the box is full after it was opened." 

Thankfully, he was oblivious to the slight uptick in her temper. "Thanks for letting me know."

He got his own box of cereal and milk out and talked as he prepared his bowl. "No problem! And about today. I just wanted to… what are you making?"

Shane looked up at him with the same blank stare she had during the games, but raised one eyebrow. "Cereal?"

"Well, what's with all that stuff?"

Her eyes glanced around at the ingredients she had laid out on the table. Syrup, honey, a bar of milk chocolate, powdered sugar, and some tea to drink on the side. That's when she suddenly remembered something very important. 

She wasn't in _her_ kitchen. 

Her face immediately reddened upon the realization that her unorthodox eating habits would surely be questioned by the others. 

"It's um… i-it's how I like it."

The man stared at her, bowl in hand, completely dumbfounded by her answer, and Shane felt herself getting a bit more annoyed than embarrassed. "Something wrong with that?"

"No! Not at all." He said quickly, dismissing the topic and sitting down at the table. The rest of what he was trying to say came out sloppily as he watched her dump everything she had in the bowl and gracefully pour milk over it. "I was just about to say uh… about the game. I wanted to say…"

He trailed off when she placed her bowl on the table across from his. That was when he noticed the sheer size of the bowl and the monstrous amount of cereal and milk it contained compared to his. His eyes glanced between her and the bowl before she sat down as he questioned everything. Sure, Shane was the shortest legend, but the size of the muscles visible in her arms and legs were easily comparable to Anita's. And yet, here she was with a gargantuan bowl of cereal, honey, syrup, sugar, and broken up pieces of a chocolate bar sprinkled on top. 

"What about the game?" She asked as she placed a spoon in her bowl and sat down. 

"Yeah–sorry. I just wanted to say you did a damn good job out there for a rookie. You really had me goin' for a second there."

The corner of her mouth twitched upward. "Yeah?"

"For real. Nobody thought you would even make it to the end, let alone get the leg-up on me in a fight. That dart was… _wow_. What's in that thing?"

His comment on her equipment made her heart flutter. She looked up at him with a light smile. "I'm glad you liked it," she joked before continuing. "It's modified snake venom. I put it together a while ago and figured it would be useful in the games."

He whistled. "Snake venom, huh? That stuff's no joke. Do you work with those guys?"

"Not me. I knew someone who worked with a fuckload of venomous animals. I learned everything about them through him."

"No kidding? I've never met anyone in that industry before. Sounds like a cool job to have."

"Yeah… yeah he uh… he really liked it–is this normal? Us sitting here talking like we weren't trying to kill each other this morning."

"It's weird at first, but you'll get used to it. There's an unspoken rule: what happens in the ring stays in the ring. You'd be surprised at how often Bang and I will go out for drinks after ripping each other's throats out in the ring." He shrugged. "It's only weird if you make it weird." 

"Yeah? I think I can live with that."

"That's pretty much all I had to say–" he raised his spoonful of cereal in a toast like manner "–No hard feelin's, right?"

She mirrored the action with a toothed grin that made her dimples shine even in the dim light of the lamp in the corner of the kitchen. "Yeah. No hard feelin's."

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this makes up for me hurting Gibby in the last chapter! Told y'all I still love him! And poor Elliott. He just wants to put out some good laughs for his fans and Shane immediately shuts that shit down. I wonder what Renee will have to say about what she saw? Guess we'll see in the next chapter!!!


	4. Just One Season

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fiiiiiiinally got around to editing and posting this chapter. Sorry it took so long. School and work are taking turns running my brain into the ground. Okay, I'll let y'all read now.

"So… about what happened with you and Witt the other day." Renee began as Shane stared out the window that overlooked the vast ocean that surrounded King's Canyon. "Can we talk about it?"

She knew this talk would be coming sooner rather than later. Elliott and Renee were close friends outside the games. That much was evident by the way the two of them hung out on the ship in their downtime. Shane had caught them speaking in hushed tones a few times since the incident after her first game. Every now and then, Elliott would glance up at her and quickly look back at Renee when Shane met his gaze. The voidwalker was much more subtle about it, but he made it so painfully obvious they were talking about what went down the other day. 

She was waiting for Wraith to say something to her about what happened, and now here they were. It was two days after her first game and Shane was sitting on an extended windowsill, scrolling through messages from new fans across the Outlands. Renee snuck up on her and immediately got down to business with the topic of her little outburst. Playing dumb was one hundred percent useless as of now, so she nodded in approval and motioned for the woman to take a seat across from her. Renee silently thanked her as she sat down on the windowsill with one leg propped up on the ledge and the other dangling off the side. 

"I… I don't mean to scare him."

To her surprise, she chuckled. "Everyone gets on his ass for something at some point. You aren't the first and you won't be the last."

"Does he hate me?"

She shook her head. "No. He's just a little hurt, that's all. Doesn't really like it when new players lash out like that."

"Is he… is he  _ always _ like that?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Like what? Goofy? Clumsy? Loud?"

"Yeah."

"Mostly when the cameras are rolling. He's a lot easier to talk to when there's not too much going on. Still, he can be a lot to handle for some people–"

"No, no, no. I mean… there's nothing wrong with him being like that. Honestly, I'd probably be the same way if things were different."

"What's stopping you?"

"It's just… I'm going through a lot right now. Outside the games–I mean. I  _ really _ can't afford to lose another one."

"Why's that? If you don't mind me asking."

If she was being completely honest, it would be nice to finally talk to someone about this other than Walton and Hercules. She felt guilty for stressing her brother out when the topic was brought up. He never said anything about it bothering him but the emotional exhaustion in his voice said otherwise. With Hercules, it was like talking to drywall. He was great for the occasional vent but terrible for anything that required someone with human emotions to understand. She was already short tempered enough with the stress of being new to the games. Bottling up her emotions was just making the whole situation worse. Besides, it was just Renee. If Octavio were asking her to spill information about her personal life, she wouldn't dare say another word. Shane may not have known him personally or for that long, but she got a vibe that confidentiality was nowhere in his vocabulary. 

_ Here goes nothing.  _ She thought before letting out a deep sigh. 

"My dad has a heart condition. He's always had it but now… now it's getting worse. Failing, actually. He needs a whole ass transplant, but the cost is just…" she sighed. "We've been fighting this for almost a year now. I haven't been myself in a long time."

"So you're using what you get from the games for his transplant?"

She nodded. 

"That sounds like a lot. I'm sorry you're going through that."

Shane shook her head. "It's fine. I'll be fine. I just need to be teamed up with people who'll take this shit seriously."

"And you got grouped with the worst ones for taking _anything_ seriously."

"Tell me about it–"

Their heads turned when shouting came from down the hallway. The familiar voices of the ship's pilot and the Syndicate representative that tended to the legends could be heard approaching the two of them. Renee and Shane listened closely to the clicking of shoes and the nagging tone that usually came from the rep as they moved from one end of the ship to the next. Olivia's frustration was evident in the sound of her footsteps alone.

"What the fuck do you think would've happened if we hit it?"

"You mean _her_? My Rosie woulda been fine." The pilot drawled. 

"I'm not worried about the goddamned leviathan, I'm talking about the ship!"

"Auggie was there–"

"–he's still in _training_ –"

"–nothin' was gonna happen to the ship. Stop worryin', Liv."

" _ Someone _ has to worry! I don't know why they even keep your ass around!"

"Your guess 's as good as mine – mornin', ladies!" The blonde, burly pilot waved with a smile. 

Both of the women gave the captain a nod as he passed them in the hall. Olivia only glanced in their direction before turning her attention back towards the menace. Their chatter faded as they continued down the hall and the women chuckled to each other when they passed by. 

"Is Calloway good?"

Renee shrugged. "He probably got caught drinking again, but I wouldn't worry about it. I swear he's better at flying this thing when he's drunk."

She really didn't know what to think about that fun fact, but nothing bad had happened yet and the ship was still intact. Her gaze went up to the woman who stood with a stretch before she addressed Shane. 

"I'm gonna hit up the range. It was really nice talking with you"- she extended out a hand -"maybe you'll squad up with me in the next game."

Shane took her hand and gave it a firm shake with a smile. "That would be really nice. Sorry for being really standoffish-I'm normally not like that. This is just… it's stressful for me."

"Don't worry about it. We were all new at some point. It takes a while to adjust, but you'll get used to it. And don't be afraid to talk to someone about what you're going through. We're all fighting for something. Even Witt."

"–Silva, where'd ya get that?" A voice that was unmistakably Ajay's shouted in the distance. They both twisted their heads for one brief second, but her shout went largely ignored. 

"Anyways. I'll leave you be." She said before disappearing down the hall.

* * *

One hour later, Shane was up and moving around once again. There wasn't much to do besides train her aim at the range and bother the other legends. A lab for modifying chemicals was located just down the hall from the kitchen, but the scientist –Caustic was his name– usually occupied that room until the dead of night. With a heavy sigh, she opted to return to her little space on the main floor and scroll through social media until it was time for her and Walton's call. That was when she saw a certain holographic trickster standing off to the side and decided to approach him instead. 

"Yeah! Totally. Love you, mom. Bye." Elliott quipped before pulling the cell phone away from his ear and tapping away at the screen. He was still completely unaware of Shane's presence, so she cleared her throat as best as she could to get his attention. 

"Hm? Oh, hi. Sorry just"– he wiggled his phone in the air –"calling my mom. Anyways, did you need something?"

He looked down at her as if she didn't threaten him the other day. Like she didn't have him pinned against the wall by his shirt like a schoolyard bully. Shane shrugged it off and continued with what she believed would be a half-assed apology. 

"Hey… uh. I just wanted to talk about yesterday. I'm really sorry about what happened. My head isn't in the right place at the moment."

"Yesterday?  _ Oh, that.  _ It's no biggie. You're new and Wraith says I play too much. Guess I just got a little excited since I don't see you around much on the ship. Hey, do you drink at all? I mean– it's fine if you don't. I need someone to try this thing out that I made. Calloway usually tries my stuff out, but I got him in enough trouble."

Shane blinked rapidly. Her mind was barely able to handle the speed at which his words came out, let alone the complete switch in subjects in under ten seconds. He stared at her until she was able to fully process what he'd said. It took a while, but she was finally able to sputter out some sort of answer. 

"Uh… ye-y-yeah, I drink. I'm sorry, are… are we good?" While Elliott didn't look like the type to poison anyone who'd wronged him, there was still a lot she didn't know about the people on this ship. She wouldn't put anything past any of them. 

"You asked if we're good? Yeah! I mean, sure. Why not?" He began to shuffle through copious bottles of alcohol on a cabinet in his little abode. All the while, he was mumbling to himself as he sifted through the mess. Shane was able to recognize a lot of the bottles he had. Most of it was just various types of beer that she didn't fuck with at all, but every now and then, a bottle of whisky would cause a brief sparkle in her eye until he shoved it aside. One brand in particular caught her eye and she couldn't help but to stop him in his tracks. 

"You have Jack Daniels?"

He glanced back at her before turning back to the bottles. "Of course. Why wouldn't I? I have everything. Well…  _ almost _ everything. Surprised you know what that is."

"I've heard of it, but never actually seen a bottle myself… or tried it." She fought to maintain a fake pout and keep herself from smiling at his expression when he looked back at her with contempt. His fake annoyed smirk could only hold for so long until it turned into a full on grin and he caved. 

"First you threaten me – _ me _ , of all people– then you come after my Jack? The add-an-aw-am… the nerve!" Shane couldn't help but to smile even wider and let out a chuckle. "Alright. You get  _ one _ glass."

"Please and thank you! How did you get this stuff anyway?"

"There was a shipment from Earth. Maybe… three months ago? Anywho –"

His words faded into background noise as her eyes fixated on something else on the other side of the main floor. Something in  _ her _ room. Shane didn't even realize she was walking towards her little corner until Elliott called out to her from behind. It wasn't enough to stop her, however, and her and her robotic movement continued until she reached the opening of her room. There, an empty guitar case was wide open and propped up on the sofa that was attached to the wall. 

"Where is it?" She said under her breath. The blood rushing through her ears was so loud she didn't even realize Elliott had walked up behind her, glass in hand. 

"Where's what?"

Then she snapped. 

"My guitar! My fucking guitar– where is it?" She roared back at Elliott who nearly dropped the drink when he jumped out of his skin. Even though she knew he wasn't the one who took it, he was the closest person around to lash out at in that split second. 

"I'm-I-I-I–" he sputtered before Anita swooped in and saved him. 

"That's your guitar? I saw Octane with it a few minutes ago. He's in the lounge with Ajay."

That was all she needed to hear. Shane made a beeline for the lounge with Elliott hot on her heels, glass still in hand. The closer she got to their little break area, the louder the voices and strumming were heard down the hall. The idle chat turned into laughter and was quickly cut off when she exploded through the door. They both stared at her with blank expressions, and she could feel the heat rushing straight to her cheeks. 

The rage was real. 

She pointed a finger at Octavio and began to scream. "PUT. THAT. DOWN. RIGHT NOW!"

Before he could even react or respond, she was already making her way over to the sofa that he and Ajay were sitting on. She refused to wait for whatever excuse he would come up with for taking her shit without permission. The neck of the guitar was snatched hastily out of his hands as he relinquished it and instinctively shrunk back fear. Shane did a quick once over just to make sure it didn't get scratched up– and it didn't, thank god. The only spots on it were the various stickers that were spread across the instrument's wooden exterior.

"What the hell–" she said slowly with her eyes still on her guitar "–were you two thinking?"

Ajay was the only one brave enough to speak up for the two of them. "I didn't know where he got it."

If that made her feel any better, she didn't show it. The only thing that did was make her direct her anger towards Octavio instead of Ajay. "You making a career out of running around like a crack head and going through people's shit?"

"Geez, I didn't know! Calm down!" He finally shouted in his own defense. "I just thought it looked pretty cool."

"Calm down? Calm d"- she took in a sharp breath and ran a hand through her shoulder length curls to occupy her free hand before she could bitch slap him -"This thing is important to me!"

"Yeah. He gets it." Ajay butt in, becoming annoyed with Shane's snippy tone especially towards Octavio. 

"If anything happens to this thing I fucking swear on my  _ parents  _ I'll–"

"You'll what?" The medic finally had enough and came in between the two of them. "Ya been treatin' everyone like shit since ya got here. How's he supposed to know what that means to ya? No one knows jack 'boutcha!"

Despite the angry woman looming over her head, Shane didn't back down. She didn't even flinch. The only physical change was the bend in her neck as she looked up at Ajay and stared her right in the eyes. "Yeah. He  _ doesn't  _ know anything about me. Which means he especially shouldn't be goin' through  _ my _ shit!"

"And you're right"– it was damn near comical the way Ajay reached back and grabbed the collar of Octavio's shirt without looking and pulled him down so he was eye-level with her –"You gotta stop that! Thoughtcha learned ya lesson after what happened with Caustic! I oughta let her knock some sense into ya. Apologize!"

"Okay! Alright! I'm sorry! It won't happen again." He said. She didn't have much room to criticize him due to the shitty apology she gave Witt not even ten minutes ago. All she did was huff in response as tension died down and Ajay released his shirt with a light shove. 

When Shane turned to leave, she nearly collided with Elliott, who was still standing there with a full rocks glass of whiskey. She needed something stronger. She needed something  _ way, way _ stronger. But that would have to do for now. He flinched when the glass was hastily snatched out of his hands and watched in awe as she downed its contents in one gulp. The empty glass was shoved into his chest and he barely had time to grab it before she stormed off, guitar in hand. 

This was the worst. The absolute fucking worst. All she wanted to do was tuck her guitar away and get to the firing range as quickly as possible. Small fingers ghosted over the strings when it was placed back in its case. The stickers on it were worn and dull, but she smoothed one thumb over the two that were on the front.  As if a switch was flipped, the negativity came rushing back to her the moment she shut the case and shoved it back under the sofa. She couldn't help but to wonder how long it would take for them to dig up more of her personal items, or worse, break something important to her. The thoughts lingered, but subsided once she entered the main room for the game pods and waited for hers to boot up. She climbed in with more practiced ease than before and watched as the lid closed before sealing her inside. 

_ It's just for one season.  _ She thought to herself over and over again as a mist filled the chamber and she drifted off into an induced slumber. 

_ Just one season.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say I love Octane and Lifeline's sibling dynamic? It's literally my fucking favorite lmao. We also got a little glimpse of my side ocs in this one! Calloway is the biggest chaotic neutral bastard and I absolutely love him. I'm still working on his character, but there's a little shot of him and Olivia for now. As for Auggie, we'll get to him later! I hope y'all enjoyed this one as much as I did!!!!


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